Welcome to the Year of the Dog! A dog year represents intelligence, protection, and loyalty. Since this year is technically an “Earth Dog” year, tendencies towards stubbornness can also dominate. For people with determination, this can be a positive aspect, since the year will be supportive of a “never quit” attitude.

In the political arena, we may see stubbornness manifesting as strong conservative elements resisting change. However, this is likely to lead to rebellious countering forces, demanding balance and equality. Therefore, it will probably be a turbulent year politically, but one that ultimately allows our country, and the world, to clarify what it needs to move forward.

Financially, we may see a setback. There could be an economic crisis or, at the very least, money luck will be up and down. Be very careful with risky speculation, such as cryptocurrencies and other related investments.

On the positive side, because of the intelligence and protection of the dog year, we are likely to see some significant scientific breakthroughs. Most of these developments will help humankind, with major medical progress possible.

All in all, the Year of the Dog is forecast to be a tumultuous time, but one filled with opportunity for advancement. If you apply good Feng Shui remedies, it will help you to come out ahead.

Feng Shui energy and tips for the year 2018

Overview

Getting a little more specific about our physical space, this year the Feng Shui energy in the center of our homes and offices is that of Fire. Like all the elements, fire can be positive or negative. A crackling fire in the hearth on a cold winter night is warm and nurturing. But a wind-driven wildfire can cause untold harm to forests, homes and communities.

So, how do you make the most of this year? The key: handle with care. This year can be productive, but it must be approached with caution and preparation. This will mean different things based on the situation, however as a governing principle, do your due diligence. Check documents twice, sleep on an important email before you send it. Weigh all the pros and cons of a big decision before you make it.

Economically, a Fire year can hint at inflation, which affects every home. We’ll see how it unfolds.

Socially, this is a great year for parties and celebrations. Important contacts and powerful connections can come from going out and being seen. It’s a year for getting back in touch with friends from your past.

Feng Shui is based on the different directions of the compass, which corresponds to the energy in your home or workplace. In order to make the most of the following recommendations, try to determine where the various compass directions fall in your space.

North

This is the weakest area in 2018. There is the potential for legal issues, as well as some health challenges.

Remedy: METAL element. Metal can be made from materials such as brass, chrome, steel or iron. Or colors silver, gold, gray or white.

Metal elements in a dining room designed by Reiko Design

North East

This zone can be good for wealth and real estate, but only if the remedy is added: FIRE.

East

The East area can be good for making powerful career moves in 2018, but only if you add the remedy. In this case: WATER.

If you have a door in the East part of your home or office, be careful of possible theft in this area. Place the water element (fountain, etc) near the door.

Remedy: Water element. Such as a fountain, aquarium, images of water in artwork. Or colors blue or black.

Water element in a teen’s room designed by Reiko Design

South East

A great area for all activities! Use this space for career, creativity, and money. Add FIRE element (a red candle, a lamp with a red shade, etc) to take it to the next level.

Enhance with: Fire element. (see NE for suggestions)

South

A wonderful area for romance. If you have a bedroom in the south, you’re doubly lucky.

Enhance with: Wood element. Such as living plants or flowers, images of forests in artwork, or the color green.

Plant element in a foyer designed by Reiko Design

South West

Good for career and money. Nice area for a desk or home office this year. Especially good for small business owners and freelancers. Enhance with METAL items. Also electronics, which are considered metal.

Enhance with: Metal element (see North for suggestions).

West

A bit weak for health, and possible legal issues or arguments. Protect health with METAL.

Remedy with: Metal element (see North for suggestions).

North West

Can be good for power, money and raising status this year. Also good for new romance. However, there can be a power struggle or issues with authority figures. Be careful to maintain good relationships with supervisors and others in a position to help you. Enhance power and promote harmony with WATER.

Enhance with: Water element (see East for suggestions).

Summary

If you make the above adjustments to your home or office, you will have done a lot to help the Feng Shui energy. Of course, if you would like a more advanced and personalized analysis of your space, please feel free to contact me. I wish you all a wonderful New Year. May the Year of the Dog bring you boundless prosperity, inspiration and joy!

So I just have to ask, are you a little spooked right now? Does the world seem particularly scary? While I know there are always disconcerting events happening at all times, this exact moment does feel a bit creepier than usual.

Perhaps it’s the nasty US political situation, or maybe the biblical-scale natural disasters, or (and this is an old favorite from years gone by) the threat of thermonuclear war, that has many of us on edge. But no matter how you slice it, there is a lot one can find nerve-wracking in the world at present.

That said, there are different ways that we can be with this. One option is to inundate ourselves with the scary info, and then discuss it with friends and basically magnify the sense that everything is falling apart. But I don’t recommend this. In fact, I’d like to offer a better alternative.

We can start by asking ourselves a simple question: “how many of these scary/disturbing stories being blasted out of the cable news shows are actually affecting me personally?” No doubt some people reading this live in the vicinity of the wildfires, or in the path of recent storms, and to them I offer my prayers and deepest sympathies. I hope the damage was not too great to your property, and of course to your health and that of your loved ones.

However, I would wager that the majority of people reading this are not being directly affected by the natural disasters. Nor are they likely being impacted directly by politics. The same goes for the bellicose war language we are hearing from several corners of the globe. Again, all scary stuff, but little of this is actually affecting us on a daily basis. And while I heartily encourage people to donate to relief efforts, or to call a member of congress to voice their opinion on an important piece of legislation, I also encourage people to retract their attention from events that can’t be controlled, and instead place their focus on the things that can be controlled.

One of the places where we have a lot of power is our own personal space. The world at large may feel unmanageable, but we can generate a tremendous feeling of personal well-being and empowerment in our home or office. This is ultimately what Feng Shui is all about.

By turning our home or work space into our own command center, a personal power zone, we begin to override the effects of broader world on our psyche, and by extension, our life.
In addition to our space, I’d also like to share some tips for mind, body, and spirit that have helped me reclaim my power through this period.

Find Your Power Place: Feng Shui
Get in the Power Position

In Your Office:

For those of you who’ve worked with me, you’ll know that I like to place the desk in a position so that your back is to a wall, and never a door. In fact, it’s ideal to sit so that you are facing the door, which is usually achievable in an office if you make some effort. Try to position your desk so you look out a window at a lovely view, or at least towards a pleasant piece of artwork.

Custom built wood paneled home office by Reiko Design.

In Your Home:

In your home: The same holds true for that favorite chair you sit in while watching TV. Make sure it’s in a very secure spot in the room, without a door behind you, or a lot of foot traffic from other members of the household. This also applies to the kitchen. While it’s best to have a kitchen layout that allows the cook to face out into the room while standing at the stove, many kitchens aren’t designed this way. This is okay. The alternative is to place a reflective surface on the stove wall, which allows the cook to see behind them. In the below photo you’ll notice that I used a glass tile on the stove wall of this custom home. The surface is reflective enough for the cook to see behind them, while still being aesthetically appealing.

New custom kitchen with mirror tile backsplash by Reiko Design.

In Your Bedroom:

In your bedroom, the power position is where you can see the door from the bed. Ideally, you can see people coming into the room before they see you. A door that lines up with the head of a bed should be avoided. The power position for a bed can help with sleep, and is especially good for children’s rooms, since they can feel extra sensitive to having a safe sleeping environment.

Loft with sleeping alcove design and construction by Reiko Design.

Keep it Private

Make sure you feel private in your space. Especially the bedroom, but it can apply to any room of your house, or your office.

I’ll confess, I was actually guilty of a faux pas on this one for some time, and I really felt the effects. I found some great linen curtains for my living room windows, but the only problem was that I really needed six panels to make them comfortably fill the space, and the seller only had 4. So I bought them anyway, thinking I’d eventually find another 2 somewhere else. But I got kinda lazy, and lived for a long time with the 4 panels. The curtains mostly covered the windows, but as the months wore on, my husband and I both found ourselves feeling subtly uncomfortable at night when we’d walk past the gaps in the curtains. The joke is that we live adjoining a nature preserve, and there’s basically nobody out there. Still, it’s amazing how this effected our psyches, and created this slight sense of insecurity in us.

When I finally tracked down two more panels of the same curtain and had them installed, the extra sense of coziness and privacy at night was palpable. It really made a difference, and my husband and I both noted how much more secure we felt in our own home. So, if you are living with less-than-perfect coverage or opacity in your window treatments, make sure to remedy this. You deserve to feel protected and private.

Lounge designed by Reiko Design.

Keep it Clean
This first one may seem very basic, and well-covered by a whole host of other specialists and authors, but it doesn’t make it any less relevant. Keep your space neat and organized. Seriously. This is far more important than many people realize, despite all the books and studies out there to this effect. It’s visceral. When the space is messy and unclean, with an overabundance of clutter, this has a powerful negative effect on our subconscious. It actually leads to anxiety, and it’s anxiety that I’m tackling in this newsletter. Why put yourself at a disadvantage right from the get-go?

By contrast, a clean and orderly space creates a sense of calm and empowerment. True story: I have a client who was really feeling traumatized by his messy office. He was slowly working his way through all the unprocessed papers, but in the meantime the sight of the clutter on a daily basis was really harming his serenity. So I had him purchase a bunch of the nicest, top-of-the line banker’s boxes on the market. These are not your usual ugly white affairs, but sleek, dark boxes with cool gray pinstripes. I had him put the unprocessed papers in these boxes, stacked neatly next to his printer table where they were out of the way. They actually looked kind of nice there. Then I told him to keep one box empty, under his desk. Each night, when he’s ready to leave his office, he now sweeps all the excess items on the desk into this box, so that he comes into his office the next day with a spotless desk. As his first action of the day he can look into the box and pull out whatever is relevant.

He has subsequently shared that this has absolutely transformed his experience of the space. He now feels motivated to process the pretty banker’s boxes one at a time in his down moments. And he feels far more invigorated and powerful when he first sits at his desk each morning, seeing the shiny clean surface in front of him.

Here are a few other empowering tips that have kept me going during this tumultuous time.

Inner Power: Body Language

What is your body position communicating not only to others, but to YOU? It’s been proven that standing for two minutes in a victory position (arms overhead, in a wide “V”) will literally change ones testosterone and cortisol levels, leading to a different more assertive mental outlook. Harvard psychologist Amy Cuddy states that “Power-Posing” actually causes people to become more powerful.

You’ve probably seen her famous Ted talk on the power of body language, but it’s always worth another watch – so fascinating!

Liquid Power: Morning Detox Tea

The power of apple cider vinegar is legendary. This morning tea invigorates, purifies, heals, and helps decrease the urge for quite so much coffee through the day (although I’m far from breaking that habit). It’s pretty delicious too.

About Reiko

I'm an expert in designing and building homes infused with good energy that support people to live their dreams. I call this type of home a “Powerhouse” and this blog is a chance to explore all aspects of creating your own Powerhouse. I welcome your insights and thank you for visiting!